Slow Down, My Loves!

I saw my SIL’s new baby post a few hours ago and I remember how years ago, I was at that stage before. When my three kids were wearing onesies and just lying on the bed giving us their oh so cute stares. I suddenly felt a wave of emotion I wasn’t expecting. At a blink of an eyes, my babies turned into kids and all of them are in school now. 

As you all know, I have three children. The other day, I was telling my husband how they each have their own quirks and attitudes. Each of them has different personalities and each one have their own spark. I look at them and I feel a bit sad that I don’t get to cradle them anymore but at the same time happy to see them becoming their own person. 

I miss being a mom with a baby but I definitely don’t want another kid! Three is already a lot to handle. I just miss holding them in my arms like the tiny precious things they were. I miss the way they’d reach for me with chubby little hands, how their eyes lit up when they see me entered the room. I miss the monthly pictorials and the milestones I swore I’d never forget (but sometimes forget specially my middle child). I sometimes miss waking up in the wee of the night just to breastfeed them and change their diapers. Those days were hard and exhausting but fulfilling too, all at once. 

kerenkeng.blogspot.com

At the same time, I’m also excited to see them grow more! My babies are growing into kids with wild imaginations, strong opinions, and hilarious jokes. I love hearing about their dreams, their made-up stories, their wishes for themselves and our family, and the friends they’re making. I love seeing how they develop their own interests too - whether it's dinosaurs, soccer, computer games, gymnastics, ballet, and baking. I see glimpses of who they’re becoming, and I am just amazed! 

Sometimes I find myself just staring at them and noticing how their faces are changing, how their legs are longer, how their questions are deeper. They're really not babies anymore. They're people - real little humans with real personalities. 

Bittersweet. That’s the word I was thinking how raising kids feel like. Bittersweet but also beautiful. Motherhood is full of paradoxes. You want time to slow down, but you're also excited to see what's next. You want to hold them close, but you also want to let them grow wings. 

I'm actually still learning not to cling to the past or rush the future. I know that I am not ready for all the growing up that’s happening, but I just want to be here for every moment. 

Have you had one of those emotional mommy moments lately too? I’d love to hear how you're feeling about your little ones growing up. Let’s remind each other—we’re not alone in this bittersweet, beautiful journey.

From Page to Screen

I wanted to share what happened to me for the last years but I can't help but rant on the recent series I've watched. That I guess that will be on my next post instead.

As an avid reader, I always get thrilled whenever I hear that a book I love is being adapted into a movie. I don't expect a scene-for-scene remake but I'd be happy if they stick to the core of the storyline and character arc. I understand that changes need to be made in order to make it interesting and to have an element of surprise. What irks me the most is changing the storyline for the sake of appealing to the society.

I recently read an article about George RR Martin saying "No matter how major a writer its is, no matter how great the book, there always seem to be someone on hand who thinks he can do better, eager to take the story and 'improve' on it." Can't blame him, A Song of Ice and Fire is a good book, albeit hard to read, and the ending of the TV series was a sad sad one. It seems like they were in a hurry and didn't take the time to develop the idea properly. 

Recently, I watched the third season of Bridgerton on Netflix. I actually started reading the books because I loved the first TV series. I became a fan! The book is better than the TV series but I still liked the first two seasons. I was disappointed when the show's writers chose to sacrifice a good storytelling for the sake of trendy, woke ideologies. I feel that it compromised the show's overall quality and I'm no longer excited for the next season. I mean I just really want to watch a good story without someone forcing an agenda. While I'm thrilled to see more representation on the show, I think it's important not to overdo it.

CCTO (photo not mine)

CCTO (photo not mine)

Anyway, one of my favorite book to movie adaptation is Harry Potter. I used to rush to National Bookstore and Powerbooks to see if I can get a copy whenever a new book is released. I love the book but I cannot imagine what a Quidditch game was, how a Golden Snitch looks, and the other out of this world terms. This is one of the reasons why I also love this movie adaptation as much as the book series. I get to see the words in these books in motion. Book or movie wise, it sets a good balance of being loyal to the plot and at the same time giving the movie audience something new to experience.

Any bookworms like me who feel the same about books to tv/movie adaptation? Let me know!

2015 Year-End Review

2015 had been a great year for me and family. For starters, we became debt-free and got a life insurance/investment. But then again, we got a new car that we're paying monthly for it, so there goes being debt-free. Nevertheless, I'm proud to say that we became wiser (read: thriftier) with our finances. The main reason is we want to send our son to a better school. As we know, better school may SOMETIMES mean more expensive. We had to give up some of our simple luho like out of town trips and weekly spending at the malls. I guess it helps that my husband and I now have different schedules and restdays. A simple out of town trip would take months of planning and adjusting. Frankly, the stress just wont justify the 3 or 4 days of relaxation, so scratch that. We had just one out of town trip this year and that was to Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan with my parents. That was good enough for me.

This year, my husband resigned from his job due to various reasons. I was glad because I know the stress was killing him. He wasn't happy like he was before. Good thing he found another job that is much closer from home. The work is still stressful but atleast it doesn't take a 2-hour travel time from our house to the office.

The little boy super loves his new school. He gets upset every time classes are suspended or during vacations. He enjoys school and is excited everytime I wake him up to change to his uniform. Too much excitement that his teachers recommend that we have him assessed for Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). They said Quino couldn't finish his activities, always full of energy to the point of being rough and hurting his classmates/teachers a long the way. As I mentioned in my previous post, part of my reason for resigning from work, is to spend time for my little boy.

We also celebrated our son's 4th birthday party at Don Henrico's Pizza with our family and close friends. It was a dinosaur themed party and I loved it so much because I know my son was so happy. I specially loved the part when he was opening his presents at home - that boy was so excited and overwhelmed, he didn't know which toy to pick and play with first!

As for me, I got myself my first designer bag! It may sound as shallow for some but I've been fantasizing about it for a long time now so getting one is like a dream come true for a regular mom who has modest earnings. Not to sound repetitive, I decided to resign from my 11-year work in a call center industry. I'm still technically employed but rendering my terminal leave now. I love the simple things of waking up and sleeping with my son by my side.

This new year, I hope I'll have a rewarding career as a work-at-home mom. I wish my husband finds a better fulfilling job and for my son to outgrow ADHD and have a better social skills. I also hope we'll be able to set up a small franchise business this year. Oh and it would also be much better if we'll have an addition to our family too.

I Want A Boy

Now that I'm a mother of a 15-month boy, the most asked question I get is "When will you plan on baby number two?" Then, a follow up statement of "You should have a baby girl next time. Para quota na." Well, if I get pregnant again, I will not care if it's a boy or a girl. I'll just wish for a normal and healthy baby - that's all. And I'd probably stop at three if it's up to me.

BUT. IF I HAVE A CHOICE, I prefer another boy. Sure, it's really fun to dress up a baby girl and to buy all those pink and purple girly stuff, but in my experience, baby boys are a lot sweeter than girls. Baby boys have a different kind of charm than those of baby girls. Maybe it's also because of the law of attraction. Contrary on what other think, I am actually fond of kids, so I babysat a lot of my younger cousins and even a neighbor in my teens. Boys tend to kiss and hug much while girls tend to kiss and smile a lot. I guess I'm a hug kind of person, huh? Or maybe, I'm just used to a dominantly-male family?

Another reason why I may prefer a baby boy is that baby boys are easy to take care. Not too demanding since they want to do things on their own (aren't girls are like this as well?) You wouldn't have to fuss about an insect bite that may ruin your baby girl's skin in the future, a dark complexion, or a big nose that might make her feel insecure, and so on.

www.123rf.com

Also, since I looove shopping, how can I possibly resist all the cute baby stuff I've been seeing online and at the mall? It would be better for my wallet and bank account if I have another boy in the future. What will I do with all those blue baby stuff in our closet? =) I also can't think of a cute name for a baby girl. I wanted "Ivanna" before but since a close friend named her baby Yvanna, I couldn't think of a girl name that I really wanted. On the other hand, I have already 3 sets of boy names I want to give my future baby. I know. I am that dense sometimes. =P

I wouldn't have to think about this anytime soon anyway. My husband and I have talked about this already. While we are excited to add to our family, we feel we still have to take and cherish our time as we watch Quino grow up fast and learn new things. That's why, we hope that we'll get visited by the stork again in a year or two. Who knows anyway? Just thinking aloud. 

New Year's Resolution

I'm not really a fan of New Year's Resolution since most of it gets forgotten after the first few months. So why bother? Anyway, what makes it different for me this time is that I very willing and determined change for a better.

BE FUN. I'm too uptight. I've heard some people call me this. Am I? I don't really know. I think I'm not but if a few people would regard me as one, then, maybe I am.

SMILE. Last Christmas, a friend was reading out to our coworkers the things we need to do (and mustn't do) on new year's eve to have a better year ahead. One of the things to do is to smile. I told them that it'll be a challenge for me since I don't really smile a lot. Well, I now consider myself challenged! Hahaha!

BE BEAUTIFUL. Have you read about my previous blog entry? That is the reason for this. It includes splurging (not too much though) on high end makeup brands more and beauty products. Sometimes cheap isn't always better.

GET MORE MASSAGES. I always complain to my husband how my back hurts a lot from carrying our growing baby half of the day. And a tired body makes the wife grouchy. I'm hoping this should prevent unnecessary arguments.

CONTROL MY ANGER. My temper boils up so easily. I always say that I'm lucky to have a very understanding and patient husband. But I always feel guilty after throwing all my fist at him

THINK OF THE HUSBAND. Now that I'm a mom, I know I've been taking my husband for granted. I just can't help but put Quino at the center of my world. I know my husband understand that but still, I have this feeling that I've been neglecting some of his needs.

FAMILY FIRST. Most of our rest days now were spent at home doing nothing. Having a family day once or twice a week would help my husband and I, relieve our anxieties and stress from the whole week of work.

INVEST, INVEST. I've been attending talks and seminars on how to invest our money wisely but I haven't exactly started on investing. I'll make sure before the year ends, I'll be able to put part of our earning in mutual funds.

HEAR THE WORD. Of God, that is. We used to go to mass every Sunday but now that we have a baby, I admit that we haven't been exactly fulfilling our duties as a Catholic every Sunday.

I Dream A Dream

An officemate once asked me, "Ano ba pangarap mo sa buhay?" Without battling an eyelid, I answered her "Just three things: to get married, to have a child of my own, and to live comfortably." It's that simple.

When I was a kid, I'd always dream of becoming a prima ballerina. During grade school and high school, I wanted to be a journalist. In college, I took up Psychology and wanted to be an HR Manager. I even took up graduate studies in Psychology to help me achieve this goal. Well, I had ballet lessons, I became a literary editor in our school paper, and I became an HR Personnel. I am that determined and persistent. If I want something, I'll make sure I'll get it. However, dreams do change.

Before I got married, I've realized that I don't want a career in the industry. There had been plenty of opportunities for a possible promotion, a career growth, but I declined, that's not what I want and it won't make me happy. If I'm in a management level, would I have time for my husband? Would it be easy for us to make a family? Heck, I don't want to risk any of it. That's why I'm perfectly happy working even as a rank and file employee. I work, go home on time, and get paid. I don't really want a big responsibility at work and I prefer a bigger responsibility at home - that is, becoming a wife and a mother.

When I gave birth to Quino, I finally became a mother. It's what I've always wanted. I don't think I can even put into words, the happiness I've felt upon the realization that I have everything I ever wanted - a loving husband and son. Sometimes it's tiring, they would also drive me crazy with both their demands but I like taking care of my two boys. My fulfillment in life - the essence of my womanhood.

My 60-day maternity leave is over and I'll be going back to work. I really want to quit my job and just take care of my baby boy but I also want to help my husband with the expenses, specially now that we'll be moving soon to our own place. So for now, I'll just have to wait for a while. One day, I'll be a Stay-at-Home-Mom who'll take care of my husband and kids fulltime, but not this time.

Remembering...

glitter-graphics.com

"In this black sultry night I want to end my life
To stop this pain throbbing in my heart
for I have no more zest to continue this fight
If you're not beside me I might not survive."

These are just a few lines from a poem I wrote years ago when my first boyfriend died. Obviously I've moved on and I'm very much happy with my husband and son but that experience changed me. Heaven knows I have not been the same since that fateful day.

I started thinking about my ex when the one month old daughter of one of our tenants died a few days ago. The baby was just a day older than my baby Quino. Actually, I started thinking of my ex's mom. I think I can now understand her pain since I've become a mother. Loosing a child feels like loosing a piece of yourself. It's your own blood and flesh. I remember, on one of our conversations, she said that she can't help but blame and question God for taking her son. I was so shocked. She's one of the most religious persons I know and I cannot believe back then that she would say such things. Tragedies like my ex bf's freak accident can really break one's soul. I know that I was already on the edge of ending my life and I hated myself for even considering that. I didn't blame God but I was angry at myself and my ex. The truth is, I blamed him - my ex boyfriend, for being so stupid and childish.

He was just my boyfriend then but the pain was really unbearable. The feeling was almost surreal. I wanted to wake up from a nightmare but I can't. As I think now, what if it's my child? Argh! This gives me the creeps. I don't even want to think of that. Just thinking of the possibility brings me to tears and already breaking my heart. I hope I will never get to experience this.

No Plastics Please!

At least in Muntinlupa...

City Ordinance 10-109 entitled “An Ordinance Prohibiting the Use of Plastic Bags on Dry Goods, Regulating its Utilization on Wet Goods and Prohibiting the Use of Styrofoam/Styrophor in the City of Muntinlupa” will take effect on January 18 after a year-long moratorium since it was approved last year to give stakeholders ample time to adjust and conform.
http://www.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/

(image taken from http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com/2011/01/ecowaste-coalition-calls-for-all-out.html)

I've saw this ordinance early this year but I never thought it'll be implemented. Well, I had hope it would since it's good for the environment but I was really doubtful.

I had quite a surprise when my husband came home a few weeks ago with my Jollibee takeout (been craving for their burger steaks) on a brown bag. I was like "What's in that bag? Where's my Burger Steak?" Hmm... so they finally decided to implement the ban on plastic bag. I hope it'll last long.

I'm not going to enumerate or tackle it's environmental relevance since I think most of us are aware anyway. Anyway, Muntinlupa city also launched the “Bring Your Own Bag/Bayong (BYOB)" campaign so I was happy that I would be able to use my reusable cloth bag (also my Christmas gifts for my girlfriends). They're so useful and more convenient than the brown bag or the boxes that are used when buying groceries.

I guess the only thing that I didn't like are the brown bags. It can easily get torn. I hate it when I buy wet goods from the market or at least drinks from 7-11, it gets soggy and can't support the items. Oh well, it's just a manner of getting used to it anyway.

I live and work in Alabang, Muntinlupa but I'm still loyal to my home town, Las Pinas. At times when I feel my taxes just go straight to politicians' pockets, it's nice to know that there are still decent local politicians who actually care for the people and our environment. I'm not sure if this is being implemented in any other cities in Metro Manila but I hope other cities would follow soon. Possible, right?

Oh My Gas!

I don't drive (because I don't know how) so I don't really pay attention everytime we go to the gas station. I just know that the cost of super unleaded is within Php30.00 to Php40.00++ per liter. When I watch the news, I always hear complaints from jeepney drivers about the cost of diesel. Again, I'm not affected too much.

So you can just imagine my surprise when I saw the price of super unleaded. Php50.50. Fifty freaking pesos and fifty centavos! My god! It's sooo effing expensive! Wala na ba halaga ang piso? Then I check all the gas receipts I've kept in a month. Wahhh!!! I'm not an effective home planner!!

Right then and there, I decided to stop using daily our car going to work. Uhmm... I maybe over reacting... Since I'm pregnant and really hate commuting in the morning to work, I changed my mind and told my hubby to use the car twice a week instead. Anyway, our office is just a 5-10 minutes drive from work, so it won't be such an inconvenient.

Oh boy... I though I'm doing a great job budgeting our finances. Arrgh! I'm so bothered by the current prices of these basic commodities. I wonder if the government is doing something about this..

Hating Me Won't Make You Pretty

I don't really have a specific person in mind whom I want to tell this to but it goes to all haters out there who seems to have pure "envy" flowing in their blood.

Sometimes, I can just be amazed by how a single person can ruin the festive mood of a whole group. Why can't they just be happy for once in their lives? Emotional vampires as they say.

Hay... this is one of my shortest posts for now... since I'm carrying a life inside me, I really want to stay away from these suckers. Thank God I have my husband, our families, and best friends who shower us with all the positive vibes and happy thoughts we need.

Blogging.. Blog.. Blah.

Just a quick post about blogging in general. Obviously, I love blogging. I want to share myself, my opinion, my experience to the cyberworld through my own little online space. I'm not a very good writer but I know I can express myself more through writing than talking. Anyway, my day will not be complete without blog hopping. I don't frequently leave comments but I read most entries on the blogs I follow (and sometimes even those that I don't follow).

It just annoys me how some people create blog but can't find time to maintain it. It's like adopting a pet. At first, you give all your attention to it but once your pet grows, you start to neglect it. Hello, ningas cogon!

Ever since I've started this blog in 2007, I'm proud to say that I was able to create a blog entry at least once a month. I don't post daily on my blog because I know I can't maintain and keep it like that. Excuse me for ranting, just letting people know of one of my pet peeves.

The Next BIG Step

It's already nine months since we got married. For some couples, planning a family is the immediate next step. But for us, we decided to wait for a year - to give us time to enjoy our marriage by ourselves.

People we know keep asking us when we'll have a baby or why they don't notice any baby bump in my stomach. We casually answer them that we're not ready yet. They thought that we are in our early to mid twenties so it was alright anyway, that we should take our time. But eveytime I tell them that I just turned thirty, I would get the same horrified reaction - I shouldn't postpone pregnancy at my age.

At first it was okay, I just shrug it off but as time goes by it becomes annoying and somewhat disturbing. What do they care anyway? It's our life. And what if we'll have problems conceiving a child? What if we'll be one of those couples who took 5 years or more to get pregnant. So I begin to rethink our decision and asked my husband again how he feels about starting a family.

They say communication is really an important factor to a successful marriage. The funny thing is, we've both been having second thoughts about planning a family until next year. So after a sincere conversation, we've decided that we should try and get pregnant a month or two from now. So I'll better stop taking pills and start preparing my body. Yikes! But I guess excited at the same time. So excited that we already decided on a name for our future baby. Hahaha! I guess it's only normal.

Planning a family is not something like planning a vacation. Not only the physical, but I know I have to keep myself emotionally prepared... This is really a big step for me, for us. I'm scared, excited, and anxious at the same time...

*picture taken from http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/46049

Much Ado About Everything

Oh boy. It's been more than a month since I updated my blog, and a lot had happened since my last entry. Some were funny, few were just plain nonsense, and one was almost heartbreaking. I guess I was just preoccupied with a lot things that I almost forgot about my favorite free therapy: Blogging.

Anyway, I've been busy with these things:

• Cafe World. I've only discovered this nice game a few weeks ago and I've been hooked eversince! It's therapeutic to watch my "waiters" serve my "dishes."
  

• Princess Hours. OMG! I'm not really a fan of Koreanovelas but I so love this series! I started to like it when I saw a rerun last year on channel 23 but it wasn't until I watched the beginning of the series on Animax that I really got obsessed! I was able to finish all episodes on youtube, watched it 3 times and still want more!!! Any other Koreanovelas I should watch?



• The Notebook. I loved the book. This is how I want my marriage to be (minus the illness) -- long lasting. As for the movie, I didn't enjoy the adaptation but Rachel McAdam's clothes are an eye candy! I really love vintage clothes. I bought the DVD and fell in love again.



• Cross stitch. I used to do a lot of cross stitching when I was in high school. I stumbled upon a thread in Girltalk which made me remeber how I enjoyed this craft. Thanks also to a Gtalker who agreed to scan some of my favorite wedding pictures for a cross stitch pattern, I may have to start my project soon.



• Big Fight =(. My husband and I had a really big fight so I was a bit down for a few days. Good thing all is great again for us. Yay!


• Yoga. I had the most annoying back pain few days ago and I realized that I really haven't been taking care of my body. I badly need an exercise but I don't want a very straining one. I've been researching about yoga and being flexible and all, I feel this might really work for me. I'm serious about this. Will be posting once I enroll in a yoga class.



• Weddings. They say June is a month for weddings (but our wedding coordinator told me that December is now the peak season for weddings) so I can't help but reminisce about our rocking vintage wedding and of course visit wedding blogs. With this, I got more and more excited to get the copy of our wedding video and photo album.
  

Nice huh? I guess I do have a lot of free time. I've been doing nothing since my husband and I have different schedules. I only get to see him for 3 hours daily so I really need to keep myself busy away from boredom and loneliness.

From Bride to Wife

It's been almost 2 months since we got married and yeah, I must admit I still have a wedding hangover. I just can't help myself from still checking out our wedding pictures and onsite video. I've even tried my wedding gown twice to see if it still fits. It doesn't. :(

Most of my friends would ask me how it feels to be a wife. Honestly, there's not much difference except for the fact that we're now sharing one room. Partly it's because we're living with his parents so I'm not really obliged to clean the house, wash our clothes, cook meals, and other stuff that a typical housewife does. I only have my husband (naks!) to take care of.

Now adjusting my life as his wife is a different story since I have to deal living out of my parents place and moving with my husband and his family. I've known my husband for more than 5 years now and I half expected to live with a cluttered person. It was just amazing that we didn't have a difficult time adapting ourselves to each other's habits. I actually think it was him who had to adjust living with me since I would always remind him to put everything back to it's proper places. He sometimes complain that I keep telling him to do things like what his mother does. Talk about living with your mother!

What I miss the most are my mother's cooking and my dogs. Of course I miss my family too but I can always call them or text. On the other hand, I can't do that to my dogs or taste my mom's cooked meals not unless I'll go back home. Did I also mention our store? I never thought I would miss it but I do miss getting my daily fix of junk food. Since Nico's family is too health conscious for me, I had to make sure that everytime we go to the mall, I make it a point to buy myself a bag full of junk food. Teehee!

My husband just woke up and caught me doing this blog entry. Geez! I guess I have to add "privacy" as one of those things I miss about singlehood. Back home when I was single, I never had someone sneak up on me while blogging or writing comments. Wow, Ok, I'm rambling now. I have to stop. I'm no longer a bridezilla, no one will tolerate my tantrums anymore. I'm now a wife.

My Happily Ever After Is Near

EXCITED! I can honestly say that I am now feeling excited on our wedding day! Can't believe that it's 10 freakin' days to go!

Definition of Stress

Stress is a biological term for the consequences of the failure of a human or animal to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined.

It is also a constant state that most Brides-to-be are in. This also refers to the hardship in dealing with the following (but not limited to):

• Grooms-to-be who keeps saying "That's nice, baby. Too bad we're over our budget already" to all your suggestions.


• Parents who keeps inviting people you don't know or you haven't seen since grade school


• Suppliers who can't seem to keep their end of the contract


• Bridesmaids who can't find an hour of their time for the scheduled gown measurement and fitting

Common sources of this condition are as follows (but not limited to):

• Your fiance's parents didn't like the food selection of your caterer and wants to replace them with less than two months away from the big day


• Engagement session that is yet to be scheduled


• Music selection that is also yet to be discussed


• Cake flavor and design that is yet to be finalized


• Guestlist that seems impossible to finalized

Got Ink?

I've always wanted to have a tattoo but have been afraid my papa won't allow me to enter our house. So what I did was to get body piercings. It's the next cool thing (for me) after getting an ink.

First started piercing my ears when I was in high school. Then got my tongue pierced after my ex died. It was liberating! Soon after, I had my navel pierced because I thought it looked cool. I didn't mind the pain. I actually have a high tolerance. Parang kagat lang ng langgam eh.

I think I'm done with body piercings (for now) and I want to try getting my first tattoo. I'm not sure when but I always tell my niccolo that I'll have mine once we're married so my papa won't have any hold on me anymore. I'm so excited that I actually have an idea on what my second tattoo will be.


Some will think it's a crazy idea, some will say it's cool. Is it a sin to get an ink? Only God will judge me.

Behind The Name

Believe it or not, one of my requirements for entertaining a suitor is his surname. Call me shallow, I don't care but I'll be the one carrying his surname in the future. So if I'll have the option to choose, of course I'll choose something pleasing to the ears. It's for my children's future as well.

I've always loved my surname, Cuevas. It's Spanish for "caves." I'm thankful that I don't have a funny Filipino sounding surname like "Mangasim" , "Bagongahasa" or God forbid "Pecpec." No offense to people with those kind of last names but I've heard some stories that this greatly affects the psychological being of a person. (Hmmm, I should have done a case study of this topic when I was in college.)

When my cousin was getting married, I told her how lucky she is that she'll have a good surname (sounds rich too) and that I wish I'll marry a man with a good surname as well. Well, it's a relief that my fiance' have a good surname (although I think mine's still better sounding than his. Peace!) or I'll be force to use my maiden name.

See the reason why I was inspired to blog about this name game: http://blogs.gmanews.tv/sidetrip/blog/index.php?/archives/132-Whats-in-a-name.html

25 Random Things About Me

I enjoyed reading other people's list so I decided to make one myself. I feel that 25 things is not enough though.

• People thinks I'm suplada and mataray... that is so true, but once you got to know me, I'm all that and more.


• I love everything girly eventhough I don't look and act like one


• My eating rules: dessert comes first


• I'm thankful that I can eat everything I want without worrying about the figure


• I found THE ONE (hello, my Niccolo!)


• I find people who got accounts to ALL social networks as papansin. Why do you need all of that anyway? I only have Friendster, Multiply, and Blogger and that's enough


• Dogs are better than cats!


• I was once (or twice) felt infatuated with a person(s) I met online (we never met personally, buti nalang)


• My relatives thought I'd grow up as a lesbian


• I love the meaning of my name (pure) but at the same time I hate it cause it's too common. Good thing though, my parents chose "Karen" over "Vanessa"


• I still have "feelings" for my ex ( yeah, feelings like bitterness, hatred, frustration to the max!!!!!!)


• I can't help but make side comments to girls with dirty toenails. Ever heard of the word pedicure?!


• I do want world peace


• My real friends are those who accepted me inspite of my kamalditahans specially during the dark days of my life
• I am getting married but I'm not that overly excited (yet) like most brides


• I have a very very bad temper


• Writing makes me happy. Nothing special really, I don't use highfalutin words or discuss the meaning of my existence. I don't write (or blog) to impress anyone. I just want to keep it simple


• I love the agony in Nico's eyes while I watch Pokemon and Hannah Montana


• I want to be a vegetarian but I don't eat vegetables (I'm really trying!)


• My first dream was to become a Prima ballerina


• Having Niccolo in my life is the happiest I've been so far


• I love reading. I wear an eyeglasses/contacts with a grade of 550


• My parents thought I'd make a good lawyer since I always argue and defend myself out in most situations


• Honestly, I once thought of entering a convent but changed my mind when my papa told me "tumigil ka na sa mga kalokohan mo!"


• I never thought I would study in an all girls school. It wasn't that bad at all

I've Never Been To Me

Now that my single days are numbered, I think about the thing I want to do before I get hitched. One thing I regret is not being able to travel like what I promised myself after college. Maybe it's because I've wasted 3 years of my life mourning a lost love that I guess was never mine after all. I should have channelled that bitterness into something worthwhile. Hay... I can never bring back time, can't I?

After 3 wasted years, I've finally met THE ONE. But I was too afraid to be away from him, I wanted to spend my everydays with him. Perhaps I'm too afraid that I might lose something that I know is real this time. And so I turned down all the invitations and opportunities to travel inside or outside the country if I'm not going to be with him...

Anyway, enough of the sad story. These are my places I've always been fascinated with. The Acropolis in Greece, Christ Redeemer in Brazil, The Taj Mahal in India, Angkor in Cambodia, Kremlin/St. Basil in Russia, Eiffel Tower in France, Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and St Peter's Basilica in Italy.

I may not be able to visit these places during my remaining single days, heck, I may even die and still not be able to travel to these countries, but one thing I realized is that I will never put my dreams on hold for anyone except me.